10 Surprising Facts About Queen Victoria

 


by Gary Pullman

fact checked by Jamie Heikkinen

Queen Victoria (1819–1901) was one of Britain’s most influential monarchs, shaping an entire era that still bears her name. While she is often remembered as strict, reserved, and emotionally distant, the real Victoria was far more complex. Behind the formal royal image was a woman of strong feelings, personal passions, and unexpected habits. These ten facts reveal a very different side of her life.

10. She Kept an Extremely Detailed Journal

Victoria began writing a personal journal at just 13 years old, and she continued until her death at 81. Over her lifetime, she filled around 43,000 pages documenting her thoughts, experiences, and emotions.

Her entries include everything from political reflections to deeply personal moments with Prince Albert. Many original volumes were later destroyed, but surviving sections show a surprisingly emotional and candid ruler.

9. She Proposed to Prince Albert Herself

Tradition prevented Prince Albert from proposing to a reigning queen, so Victoria did it herself. At just 20 years old, she asked him to marry her in 1839 during a private meeting.

The proposal was successful, and the couple shared a deeply affectionate relationship, marrying the following year.

8. She Survived Multiple Assassination Attempts

Between 1840 and 1882, Queen Victoria was targeted in at least eight assassination attempts. These included gun attacks, ambushes, and even physical assaults.

Despite several close calls—including pistols misfiring and attackers being tackled at the last second—Victoria survived all attempts on her life.

7. She Had a Surprising Appreciation for Art Featuring Nudity

Contrary to her conservative reputation, Victoria actually enjoyed artwork that included nude figures. Her husband, Prince Albert, was often more modest about such displays.

Some artworks were even displayed in private or hidden areas of royal residences to accommodate differing tastes between the couple.

6. She Inherited a Massive Fortune From a Subject

An eccentric wealthy landowner named John Camden Neild left Queen Victoria a huge inheritance worth about £500,000—an enormous sum at the time.

She used part of the money to restore churches and support local education, turning an unexpected fortune into public benefit.

5. She Used Anesthesia During Childbirth

Queen Victoria was among the first monarchs to publicly support the use of chloroform during childbirth.

She received anesthesia during the births of several of her children, helping normalize medical pain relief at a time when it was still controversial.

4. She Helped Prevent a War With the United States

During tensions between Britain and the U.S. in the American Civil War era, Victoria supported a diplomatic solution.

Working alongside Prince Albert’s advice, she helped approve a softened diplomatic message that reduced conflict and avoided a potential war.

3. She Was Linked to Rumors of Romantic Relationships

Victoria was the subject of public rumors involving close relationships with two men: Lord Melbourne, her early political advisor, and later her servant John Brown.

Although never proven, these relationships fueled public gossip and controversy during and after her reign.

2. She Gave Away a Famous Presidential Desk

Victoria gifted U.S. President Rutherford B. Hayes a desk made from the British exploration ship HMS Resolute.

This desk, known as the Resolute Desk, is still used in the White House today by American presidents.

1. She Attended Buffalo Bill’s Wild West Show

In 1887, Queen Victoria privately attended Buffalo Bill Cody’s Wild West Show at Windsor.

She watched performances featuring cowboys, sharpshooters like Annie Oakley, and Native American performers, and later recorded her admiration in her journal.

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